| Kenya Navy personnel and American
Marines conducting a joint training operation in Lamu have been stopping and searching
cargo and passenger boats entering or leaving the island. In the past week, they have stopped and searched several boats as they crossed
the channel between Lamu island and Mokowe Jetty and between Lamu and Pate Island.
On Thursday afternoon a powered US navy rubber boat,
carrying navy officers and marines intercepted Mv Alitsaq between Faza and Manda
island, boarded and did thorough search of passengers luggage.
However, the vessel’s captain, Adlan Mulana, said only
seven navy personnel boarded his boat while a US marine in charge of the rubber boat did
not interfere. On Wednesday the same team had stopped a boat belonging to the Lamu Palace
Hotel at Matondoni and the navy men asked the crew to show their identification papers
before searching the luxury boat.
The searches started early in the week after hundreds of
foreign Muslim leaders started pouring into Siyu Village for a one week prayer festival
known as Ijiktmai which ended yesterday. Pate island is home to runaway terrorism
suspect Faizul Mohammed. Lamu DC Kutswa Olaka said he was not aware of a heightened
security operation involving the marines.
Department of Defence spokesman Mr Bogita Ongeri said on
the telephone that the checks were normal security surveillance and were not meant to
intimidate anyone.
A spokesman at the American Embassy in Nairobi said marines
only offered training and facilities like the power boat |
